Posted by Kevin on October 02, 2001 at 15:15:49:
In the "yesterday's products become tomorrow's tools" dept: Just heard on
MSNBC that Iridium (or whoever owns what's left) is proposing to the NTSC
that their otherwise useless satellites replace on-board black boxes as
flight-data recorders/relayers. The upshot being that the data is thus
always recoverable, regardless of the fate of the aircraft. Potentially
could also be developed into something larger, more pervasive - an "always
on" international digital communications/tracking network for air
traffic/travellers - given the global coverage of the satnet. Admirable, no?
And at fire-sale prices, no less.
Cheers,
Kevin Doran